Undercover Radio - Broadcasting From The Middle of Nowhere
---------------------------------------------------------- PIRATE SHORTWAVE RADIO OPERATOR
AN INCOMPLETE COLLECTION OF "STUDIO QUALITY" EPISODES
Undercover Operation
A North American clandestine/unlicensed shortwave station operated by Dr. Benway, pirate radio operator / hobby shortwave broadcaster. Undercover Radio has been around for many years; according to Dr. Benway, the current incarnation of the station “was born in 2003.”[1] Transmission was/is sporadic on shortwave, and was generally found at 6925 kHz often in AM mode. [2] Also, sometimes they broadcast just above the AM broadcast band (on medium wave) with reports mentioning 1710 or 1720 kHz. Reported transmitter power: per a DX / monitoring report, Dr. Benway claims to use a 300-watt transmitter.[3]
Format / Programming
According to an article in Radio World, his broadcasts are more hobby-oriented, not “evil, swashbuckling” pirates, but rather “ordinary citizens who love to broadcast as a hobby.” [1] Undercover Radio's programming consists of a mix of rock music [3] with spoken word / storytelling including the likes of William S. Burroughs, Timothy Leay, Laurie Anderson and has even “journey[ed] to remote locations for mobile pirate broadcasts.” [4]
Philosophy / Motivation
According to Radio World, Dr. Benway has used his broadcasts to support a charity (Wounded Warrior Project) through t-shirt sales. Dr. Benway frames his operation in terms of free speech and has said he believes he's “exercising my right to free speech” via his pirate station. [1] however, the FCC does not accept that argument: pirate (unlicensed) shortwave broadcasting violates U.S. law, and the FCC has stated there is no constitutional “right to broadcast.” [1]
In public statements, Dr. Benway positions himself more as a “hobby broadcaster” than a defiant pirate out to make trouble.
Legacy
Undercover Radio is well-known in the shortwave / DXing hobbyist community as one of the “veteran” pirate stations. [5] It represents a kind of “classic” pirate radio spirit in the shortwave world: not highly commercial, but more grassroots, artful, and free-speech / hobby driven.
Its relative longevity (since around 2003) is notable for pirate stations, many of which are more ephemeral. And of course, because it’s unlicensed, there’s no publicly confirmed studio location or transmitter site (beyond what Dr. Benway claims), as he says "broadcasting from the middle of knowhere". Transmission times are never regular or predictable as with most shortwave pirate station, but it means listening requires patience and scanning. A good place to catch current reports is https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php?board=3.0
Currently the collection presented here were derived from 192 kb/s .MP3 files provided with various QSL replies from Dr. Benway himself via postal drop. These recording cannot not be considered the best and this collection is INCOMPLETE. If you have any "studio quality" shows not listed here, or have original .WAV files, please contact [me] at the associated email address to this page.
DISCLAIMER: The works of "Dr. Benway" and "Undercover Radio" should be considered "performance art" and that the audio files offered here are strictly for archival, personal enjoyment and evaluation purposes ONLY with the sole intent of preserving the legacy of Undercover Radio, who is considered broadly to be one of the more notable pirate radio influencers in the history of North American shortwave pirate radio, being transformative in its work. Audio files, transcripts or any media hosted on this site are granted for playback and possession only by the discretion of this site's curator who explicitly cannot wholly or in part claim [by fact] the sources or usage agreements of any non-original material used by Undercover Radio (or joint authors/artists) in their works, but if (1) any copyright claim(s) or publication conflicts are made directly for any content included, whether for audio or script, or (2) content is sighted as breaching any stipulation(s) or community guidelines of Archive.org, or (3) deemed as too inappropriate or controversial for public consumption, those files in question will be promptly removed as required or requested. "Dr. Benway", Undercover Radio and this site's curator, do not endorse or encourage other parties to break state and federal laws through any engagement in unlicensed or unauthorized radio transmitting or operating (pirate radio) or related activities contrary to any laws or regulations including copyright concerns. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your location.
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